Former Presidents should have an advisory role in the administration of the country, says Professor Guido De Marco – himself a former President.

To achieve this aim, De Marco is proposing the creation of a council of state, made up of former Presidents, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

“The brief of this council should be that of discussing great issues of the state. It would be an advisory body with a great moral authority.”

Yet this view is not shared by former President Censu Tabone, who disagrees with the setting up of a formalised consultative body.

“I think that our advice could be useful, if it avoids internal political attention,” Tabone told MaltaToday, adding that he has been very careful to distance himself from partisan politics.

“I am of the view that Presidents should not take an active part in purely local issues. Advice from past Presidents can be useful; however, it should not involve local politics.”

By virtue of the PN statute, Tabone is still a part of the PN’s executive.

“I am a member of the Nationalist Executive Committee as a former Deputy Party Leader, but I never take party in the discussions unless it is absolutely necessary to avoid faulty decisions.”

Apart from seeing a role for former Presidents in the running of the country, De Marco would also like to see a stronger Presidency with greater moral authority.

He still stands by the contents report presented by a parliamentary select committee in the late 1980s. De Marco was president of this committee, which included Dom Mintoff among its members.

“We suggested that a President should be elected by a two thirds parliamentary majority and if, after a number of votes, this is not achieved, we go to the people. It would make the President stronger. A good President does not need legal powers, but moral authority.”